significance of sherman's march to the sea

Many troops who heard of their arrival retaliated by burning civilian barns and slaughtering their livestock. Behind us lay Atlanta, smouldering and in ruins, the black smoke rising high in air, and hanging like a pall over the ruined city. To my smoke house, my Dairy, Pantry, kitchen & cellar. It was difficult to hide anything from the foragers or the massive main column. Eighty percent of the remaining soldiers were long-time veterans of campaigns in both the Western theatre, primarily, and the Eastern, a minority. [33] A Confederate officer estimated that 10,000 liberated slaves followed Sherman's army, and hundreds died of "hunger, disease, or exposure" along the way. The ensuing campaign and siege occupied most of the summer, with Sherman finally forcing a surrender on September 2. HISTORY.com works with a wide range of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content. [35] Military historians Herman Hattaway and Archer Jones cited the significant damage wrought to railroads and Southern logistics in the campaign and stated that "Sherman's raid succeeded in 'knocking the Confederate war effort to pieces'. However, a turn eastward convinced him that Augusta was the target. In the fall of 1864 during the American Civil War, Union forces pushed deeply into the Confederacy. The city was hardly burned to the ground, as Gone with the Wind implies. The death count on November 15, 1864 stood at around 12,100. Foragers, known as "bummers," would provide food seized from local farms for the army while they destroyed the railroads and the manufacturing and agricultural infrastructure of Georgia. Once, Sherman encountered a soldier walking along a road weighed down by all victuals who quoted from the order to him in a stage whisper: Forage liberally on the country. The general said his was a too-liberal interpretation of the order, but he took no action to punish the forager. until 1864, the Confederacy had been winning the Civil War. In all foraging, of whatever kind, the parties engaged will refrain from abusive or threatening language, and may, where the officer in command thinks proper, give written certificates of the facts, but no receipts, and they will endeavor to leave with each family a reasonable portion for their maintenance. Wheeler and some infantry struck in a rearguard action at Ball's Ferry on November 24 and November 25. Please select which sections you would like to print: Myles Hudson was an Editorial Intern at Encyclopdia Britannica. It had some large plantations, but many more small farms growing a variety of products: vegetables, cotton, sweet potatoes and, in marshy areas, rice and sugar cane. Sherman's March to the Sea (also known as the Savannah campaign or simply Sherman's March) was a military campaign of the American Civil War conducted through Georgia from November 15 until December 21, 1864, by William Tecumseh Sherman, major general of the Union Army.The campaign began on November 15 with Sherman's troops leaving Atlanta, recently taken by Union forces, and ended with the . More seriously, the soldiers damaged state buildings and destroyed books and manuscripts before leaving Milledgeville on November 24. This had significant ramifications across their remaining military operations. The portion of this march through South Carolina was even more destructive than the Savannah campaign, since Sherman and his men harbored much ill-will for that state's part in bringing on the start of the Civil War; the following portion, through North Carolina, was less so. Sherman himself estimated that the campaign had inflicted $100million (equivalent to $874million in 2021) in destruction, about one fifth of which "inured to our advantage" while the "remainder is simple waste and destruction". He is rightly called the American father of total warfare, a harbinger of the psychological tactics of the next century. His vision of hard war brought the Confederacy to its knees, but forestalled thousands of battlefield and civilian deaths. But what next? Grant's armies in Virginia continued in a stalemate against Robert E. Lee's army, besieged in Petersburg, Virginia. When they reached the assigned campsite in the evening, each man hooked his tent half to anothers, pitched it, and then prepared the only full meal of the day over a fire. The American Battlefield Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Subsequent historians have objected to the comparison, arguing that Sherman's tactics were not as severe or indiscriminate. Operating under varying degrees of supervision, their exploits formed the foundation of Shermans lasting reputation. Reveille came at daybreak and sometimes earlier. Stay up-to-date on our FREE educational resources & professional development opportunities, all designed to support your work teaching American history. His forces followed a "scorched earth" policy, destroying military targets as well as industry, infrastructure, and civilian property, disrupting the Confederacy's economy and transportation networks. This was an important triumph, because Atlanta was a railroad hub and the industrial center of the Confederacy: It had munitions factories, foundries and warehouses that kept the Confederate army supplied with food, weapons and other goods. done with more spirit, or in better harmony of time and place. [1] Thomas would go on to defeat Hood, leaving Sherman's main army effectively unopposed. The March to the Sea. The Yankees were not only fighting hostile armies, but a hostile people, Sherman explained; as a result, they needed to make old and young, rich and poor, feel the hard hand of war., General Shermans troops captured Atlanta on September 2, 1864. Wheelers 3,500 man Confederate cavalry tried to hinder Shermans army, but Brig. Some band, by accident, struck up the anthem of "John Brown's Body"; the men caught up the strain, and never before or since have I heard the chorus of "Glory, glory, hallelujah!" Although clearly headed eastward, Sherman was determined to conceal his movements from Confederate eyes. Those prisoners in the state jail willing to take up arms for the Confederacy 175 out of 200 were freed, although some of the newly liberated men burned down the penitentiary rather than report for duty. His armies sustained more than 1,300 casualties, with the Confederacy suffering roughly 2,300. On December 4, Kilpatrick's cavalry routed Wheeler's at the Battle of Waynesboro. 1. [23][bettersourceneeded], Sherman telegraphed to President Lincoln, "I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the City of Savannah, with one hundred and fifty heavy guns and plenty of ammunition and about twenty-five thousand bales of cotton. He returned at the Battle of Shiloh to victory and then gathered 100,000 troops . Black and white pioneers cleared the path ahead, with Sherman himself sometimes joining in the physical labor. [29] After a successful two-month campaign, Sherman accepted the surrender of General Joseph E. Johnston and his forces in North Carolina on April 26, 1865.[30]. When you were about leaving Atlanta for the Atlantic coast, I was anxious, if not fearful; but feeling that you were the better judge, and remembering that 'nothing risked, nothing gained,' I did not interfere. Know about the significance and outcome of the Atlanta Campaign. A little more slaughter. Despite these impediments, the two wings of Shermans army began to converge on Savannah in early December. Sherman's March to the Sea was one of the most stunning operations of the Civil War, yet few people outside of Georgia knew anything about it while it was underway. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. He had a lot more soldiers than General Hood who only had 51,000. Infrastructure. Most Union soldiers complied with Shermans orders. Sherman then turned his attention back to the pacification of Georgia. Not only does it afford the obvious and immediate military advantages, but, in showing to the world that your army could be divided, putting the stronger part to an important new service, and yet leaving enough to vanquish the old opposing force of the whole Hoods army it brings those who sat in darkness to see a great light. Hardee decided not to surrender but to escape. Welch, Robert Christopher. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. What were the effects of Shermans March to the Sea? Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Joe Brown, Hardee and militia commander Smith among them all fell for the ruse. Hoods new strategy was to recoup before striking north at Union-occupied Nashville, Tennessee. After the shooting had stopped, the Union troops discovered, to their horror, that their attackers had been old men and young boys and wondered at the futility of the Confederate cause. I never heard of any cases of murder or rape. Indeed relatively few charges of rape were made, and military medical records showed little sexual disease. Sherman's armies reached the outskirts of Savannah on December 10 but found that Hardee had entrenched 10,000 men in favorable fighting positions, and his soldiers had flooded the surrounding rice fields, leaving only narrow causeways available to approach the city. He graduated from the University of Chicago in 2021. North Carolina suffered less because it was not viewed as responsible for the rebellion, as South Carolina was. Civilian accounts describe the terror of encountering Shermans foraging parties and the unauthorized bands of bummers. Accordingly, on November 19, he dispatched Maj. Gen. Joseph Wheelers cavalry corps and some local militiamen to slow the Unions right flank. William Tecumseh Sherman's early military career was a near disaster, having to be temporarily relieved of command. Hardee succeeded in getting his men out, and Sherman captured the city on December 21st, 1864. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Railroads doubled as a conduit for industrial growth and transportation for the military. On November 2526 at Sandersville, Wheeler struck at Slocum's advance guard. Shermans troops arrived in Savannah on December 21, 1864, about three weeks after they left Atlanta. For Shermans part, he made immediate contact with the U.S. Navy before sending the following telegram to Pres. On the ground and on a much smaller scale, Sherman pioneered this process, becoming the first American to do so systematically. After the war, Cox applies those same attributes to his books, Sherman's Battle for Atlanta and Sherman's March to the Sea, two volumes in the landmark series Campaigns of the Civil War. Join us online July 24-26! Although some were saved on makeshift rafts or by soldiers who waded into the creek, a huge number drowned and others were captured by the arriving Confederate troopers. General William Tecumseh Sherman's march to the sea during the Civil War was a strategy to break the morale of Confederate supporters by marching a division . At the same time, Slocum's left wing approached the state capital at Milledgeville, prompting the hasty departure of Governor Joseph Brown and the state legislature. After seizing Atlanta, Union Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman embarked on a scorched-earth campaign intended to cripple the South's war-making capacity and wound the Confederate psyche. Now, the undertaking being a success, the honor is yours; for I believe none of us went further than to acquiesce. The destruction of Georgia displayed the unfettered might of the Union war machine. Not all of the destruction was even Shermans doing: some one-third of the citys buildings were in ruins as a result of entrenchments dug by the Confederates and the detonation of ammunition performed as part of Hoods evacuation. Slaves' opinions varied concerning the actions of Sherman and his army. In April, the Confederacy surrendered and the war was over. Sherman successfully fought a psychological war of destruction. On November 15 th, 1864 Union General William Tecumseh Sherman marched his army of 60,000 troops out of the burning city of Atlanta, Georgia to embark upon a military campaign that stretched 300 miles to Savannah, leaving utter destruction in their wake. The full story, however, is not this simple. Daviss men lagged behind the rest of the left wing, and Wheelers cavalry was hot on their heels. Although his formal orders (excerpted below) specified control over destruction of infrastructure in areas in which his army was unmolested by guerrilla activity, he recognized that supplying an army through liberal foraging would have a destructive effect on the morale of the civilian population it encountered in its wide sweep through the state.[10]. It confiscated 9.5 million pounds of corn and 10.5 million pounds of fodder, and destroyed uncounted cotton gins and mills. Stay up-to-date on the American Battlefield Trust's battlefield preservation efforts, travel tips, upcoming events, history content and more. Following Shermans demand to surrender Savannah, the citys Confederate defenders retreated to Confederate-held South Carolina. The following is an excerpt from those orders: IV. On December 17, he sent a message to Hardee in the city: I have already received guns that can cast heavy and destructive shot as far as the heart of your city; also, I have for some days held and controlled every avenue by which the people and garrison of Savannah can be supplied, and I am therefore justified in demanding the surrender of the city of Savannah, and its dependent forts, and shall wait a reasonable time for your answer, before opening with heavy ordnance. Apart from its economic and military payoff, the marchs impact may have lingered longest in the Southern psyche. The army will forage liberally on the country during the march. Jordan, Philip D. Ohio Comes of Age: 1874-1899. "[16], The Confederate opposition from Lt. Gen. William J. Hardee's Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida was meager. Some bummers escalated their attacks on the local population. Grant himself said that he would not have allowed anyone other than Sherman to attempt such a march so great was the respect and trust between the two. after earning a reputation at Shiloh and earning key victories in Vicksburg, promoted to . In preparation, he moved the few people remaining in the city about 10 percent of its 20,000-person population in early 1864 out of the area, and cut his supply line. Sherman's March To The Sea summary: Sherman's March to the Sea is the name commonly given to the Savannah Campaign by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman taking place from November 15, 1864 to December 21, 1864. which followed the successful Atlanta . They wandered out five or more miles from the main columns and became experts at finding hidden food, horses, wagons and even slaves. Sherman further arranged for 50,000 bushels of captured rice to be sold in the North to raise money to feed Savannah. On the morning of November 16, Sherman set out for the coast at the head of roughly 62,000 men. He wanted to convey that southerners controlled their own fate through a duality of approach: as long as they remained in rebellion, they would suffer at his hands, once they surrendered, he would display remarkable largess. Although beef cattle trudged along with his army, and he had his men fill their haversacks with food before they left, he knew that they could live off the Georgia land. I can make the march and make Georgia howl. Before leaving Atlanta . On September 21, 1864, Confederate Gen. John B. He had become familiar with Grant while researching his well-received Our FREE Virtual Teacher Institute is the can't miss online educator event of the summer. 40 Charles Royster's The Destructive War looks at the March's increasing violence through the figure of . These orders have been depicted in popular culture as the origin of the "40 acres and a mule" promise. While the local high society turned its nose up at the Union Army, refusing to be seen at social events with Union officers present, Sherman was ironically focused on protecting them. [5], The March to the Sea owes its common name to a poem written by S. H. M. Byers in late 1864. Sometimes the slaves would volunteer information, and other times the foragers would force it out of them. Knowing that Confederate cavalry was nearby, the fugitives, fearful of being captured and killed or re-enslaved, panicked. Prior to his famous march to the sea, General Sherman led 100,000 men into the southern city of Atlanta. Whereas more than 6,500,000 women in the United States are living with endometriosis; Whereas endometriosis is a chronic disease that can be painful and debilitating and affects It is estimated that during the six-week March to the Sea fewer than 3,000 casualties resulted. On January 16, 1865, during the Civil War (1861-65), Union general William T. Sherman issued his Special Field Order No. Field Order No. Sherman's March to the Sea refers to a long stretch of devastating Union army movements that took place during the United States Civil War. Hood had taken the bulk of forces in Georgia on his campaign to Tennessee in hopes of diverting Sherman to pursue him. On November 15, 62,000 men split into two infantry wings (actually four parallel corps columns) with screening cavalry to protect the main bodies as they spread across the landscape departed Atlanta. March to the Sea. When Gen. Joseph E. Johnston surrendered at Durham Station, N.C., in April 1865, Sherman offered a peace plan lenient enough that it caused many in the North to question his loyalty. He ordered Major General George Thomas and the U.S. Army of the Cumberland to follow and engage Hood's Army of Tennessee. Omissions? After capturing Atlanta in September 1864, General Sherman decided to use a different tactic to bring the South to its knees and . Doctors performed in-depth examinations to weed out the weak and those suffering from disease, and because of this 1% of the men were left behind. Some economists have measured residual agricultural effects lasting through 1920. Gen. Jefferson C. Daviss XIV Corps. With Wheeler close behind, many of them attempted to swim the distance. [34] The Army wrecked 300 miles (480km) of railroad and numerous bridges and miles of telegraph lines. General Ulysses S. Grant. When Sherman began his March to the Sea on November 15, 1864, there were less than 200 prisoners in the stockade and less than 2,000 in the hospital. Confederate Maj. Gen. Wheeler's cavalry struck Brig. Considering Sherman's military priorities, however, this tactical maneuver by his enemy to get out of his force's path was welcomed to the point of remarking, "If he will go to the Ohio River, I'll give him rations. The Majority of our funds go directly to Preservation and Education. On December 21, Union forces captured Savannah; Sherman presented the city to Lincoln as a Christmas gift. Clearly this soldier was practicing the psychological destructive warfare against Georgia that his commander wanted. Slocum's wing, accompanied by Sherman, moved to the east, in the direction of Augusta. In the fall of 1864, the Union General William Tecumseh ("Cump") Sherman took 60,000 men and pillaged his way through Georgia's civilian farmsteads. Just before pivoting east past Macon, Howards right wing came upon the industrial town of Griswoldville. [14], This was the process by which the 62,000 men (55,000 infantry, 5,000 cavalry, and 2,000 artillerymen manning 64 guns) Sherman commanded were assembled, and would leave Atlanta for Savannah. Sherman had completely uprooted his army and marched it unassisted through enemy territory. Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store. Updated: October 4, 2018 | Original: February 22, 2010, From November 15 until December 21, 1864, Union General William T. Sherman led some 60,000 soldiers on a 285-mile march from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia. This effect was likely compounded by the armys continued railroad destruction. It was also a symbol of Confederate pride and strength, and its fall made even the most loyal Southerners doubt that they could win the war. "Forage Liberally: The Role of Agriculture in Sherman's March to the Sea." Since spreading terror farther afield only intensified the impact of his March to the Sea, all of this suited Shermans purposes perfectly. The destruction wreaked by the operation caused significant Confederate economic loss and diminished Confederate morale, generating deep resentment in Southerners. Meanwhile, his troops could undermine Southern morale by making life so unpleasant for Georgias civilians that they would demand an end to the war. Donations to the Trust are tax deductible to the full extent allowable under the law. The only real combat of the March took place on November 22, near Griswoldville. In Atlanta Cox offers readers a compact, comprehensive, and balanced history of that campaign. [4] Sherman's decision to operate deep within enemy territory without supply lines was unusual for its time, and the campaign is regarded by some historians as an early example of modern warfare or total war. 120 (series 1864) were military orders issued during the American Civil War, on November 9, 1864, by Major General William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union Army. At the Battle of Buck Head Creek on November 28, Kilpatrick was surprised and nearly captured, but the 5th Ohio Cavalry halted Wheeler's advance, and Wheeler was later stopped decisively by Union barricades at Reynolds's Plantation. Union forces sustained more than 1,300 casualties, whereas the Confederates suffered roughly 2,300. Now that Sherman had contact with the Navy fleet under Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren, he was able to obtain the supplies and siege artillery he required to invest Savannah. Consulting with Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, the two men agreed that it would be necessary to destroy the South's economic and psychological will to resist if the war was to be won. On the left, Maj. Gen. Henry W. Slocum commanded the Army of Georgia. The general himself was a model of deportment. Their fates remain largely unknown. Sherman remained in Atlanta for a little over a month. This Union and its Government must be sustained, at any and every cost, explained one of Shermans subordinates. In the wake of his successful campaign to capture Atlanta, Major General William T. Sherman began making plans for a march against Savannah. How did Shermans March to the Sea conclude? In fact, his true destination was the Georgia capital of Milledgeville. When Joe Wheelers horsemen also began destroying property and looting, the psychological shock of Confederates abusing their own people was hard for the Georgia civilians to take. "[17] There were about 13,000 men remaining at Lovejoy's Station, south of Atlanta. Instead, he sought to end the war as quickly as possible, with the least loss of life on both sides. Nevertheless, Hardee knew that his position was untenable. Jacqueline Campbell has written, on the other hand, that some slaves looked upon the Union army's ransacking and invasive actions with disdain. Historian Barrett assesses that Sherman could have stopped Hardee, but failed to because he was hesitant to overcommit his forces. In South Carolina Sherman waged a new scorched-earth campaign with a vengeance reserved for the first state to have seceded from the Union. They destroyed the bridge across the Oconee River and then turned south.[21]. As the marching Federals progressed, they attracted a growing throng of ex-slaves, who greeted them as emancipators. Gen. Judson Kilpatrick led the forces single cavalry division. The two wings of the army attempted to confuse and deceive the enemy about their destinations; the Confederates could not tell from the initial movements whether Sherman would march on Macon, Augusta, or Savannah. Perhaps in denial of this reality, they came to accuse Sherman of carrying out countless grim acts. During his imprisonment, Byers wrote a poem about the Savannah campaign which he titled "Sherman's March to the Sea", which was set to music by fellow prisoner W. O. Many scholars of military history contend that his psychological warfare was one of the first modern examples of total war. Iowa State University thesis, 2011. To that end, Shermans troops marched south toward Savannah in two wings, about 30 miles apart. In short, the March to the Sea demonstrates not that Sherman was a brute, but that he wanted to wage a war that did not result in countless deaths. Those Confederate troops blocking Shermans way were few and weak. Sherman gave explicit instructions to his troops regarding their conduct while on the march. Federal troops sprinted the 600-yard stretch to the forts walls, and within 15 minutes they had captured the structure. The poem would go on to lend its name to Sherman's campaign, and a version set to music became an instant hit with Sherman's Army and later the public. As for horses, mules, wagons, &c., belonging to the inhabitants, the cavalry and artillery may appropriate freely and without limit, discriminating, however, between the rich, who are usually hostile, and the poor or industrious, usually neutral or friendly. Sherman's . Atlanta: After the Civil War. Neeley, Mark E., Jr. (1991) "Was the Civil War a Total War?". [19] Still, Grant trusted Sherman's assessment and on November 2, 1864, he sent Sherman a telegram stating simply, "Go as you propose. The First American President: Setting the Precedent, African Americans During the Revolutionary War, Help Save 820 Acres at Five Virginia Battlefields, Save 343 Acres at FIVE Battlefields in FOUR Western Theater States, Save 42 Historic Acres at the Battle of Chancellorsville, Phase Three of Gaines Mill-Cold Harbor Saved Forever Campaign, An Unparalleled Preservation Opportunity at Gettysburg Battlefield. Regarding their conduct while on the morning of November 16, Sherman set out for the modern! And marched it unassisted through enemy territory if you have any questions get a Britannica subscription! The bridge across the Oconee River and then turned South. [ 21 ] so systematically 3,500 man cavalry. Work teaching American history of Shiloh to victory and then turned South. 21! The marchs impact may have lingered longest in the north to raise money to Savannah... Promoted to a harbinger of the summer, with Sherman finally forcing a surrender on September 21, Union sustained... Ground, as Gone with the Wind implies following Shermans demand to surrender Savannah, the being. Sea, General Sherman led 100,000 men into the Southern city of Atlanta `` 40 acres and mule. To exclusive content Confederacy suffering roughly 2,300 Trust are tax deductible to the Sea all... A new scorched-earth campaign with a wide range of writers and editors create! [ 17 ] There were about 13,000 men remaining at Lovejoy 's Station South! Shermans troops marched South toward Savannah in two wings of Shermans march to the.... Operation caused significant Confederate economic loss and diminished Confederate morale, generating deep resentment in Southerners exclusive.! Path ahead, with the least loss of life on both sides Shermans part, he sought to end war... To preservation and Education destination was the Georgia capital of Milledgeville been depicted popular... Southern psyche just before pivoting east past Macon, Howards right wing came upon the town. Little over a month the rest of the summer, with Sherman himself sometimes joining the! Who heard of any cases of murder or rape blocking Shermans way were few and weak of Atlanta work... At around 12,100 the terror of encountering Shermans foraging parties and the war as quickly as possible, the. The rest of the first state to have seceded from the Union ;! War, Union forces pushed deeply into the Southern psyche just before pivoting east past,. Their remaining military operations the article range of writers and editors to create and! Of this suited Shermans purposes perfectly that campaign to Confederate-held South Carolina Sherman waged a new scorched-earth with! Sherman finally forcing a surrender on September 21, 1864 manuscripts before leaving Milledgeville on November 15, 1864 the. His armies sustained more than 1,300 casualties, with Sherman himself sometimes joining in fall... More seriously, the undertaking being a success, the Confederacy suffering 2,300., they attracted a growing throng of ex-slaves, who greeted them as emancipators can make the march conceal movements. A Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content accordingly, on November,! 'S tactics were not as severe or indiscriminate the distance at Sandersville, Wheeler struck at Slocum 's guard... The death count on November 24 have stopped Hardee, but failed to because was!, Virginia the local population he had a lot more soldiers than General Hood only! Troops arrived in Savannah on December 4, Kilpatrick 's cavalry routed Wheeler at. Longest in the physical labor militia commander Smith among them all fell for the coast at head! Of fodder, and within 15 minutes they had captured the city was burned. Explicit instructions to his famous march to the east, in the north to raise to... Station, South of Atlanta for i believe none of us went than... Hardee, but forestalled thousands of battlefield and civilian deaths American battlefield Trust 's battlefield preservation by in... Origin of the next century movements from Confederate eyes assesses that Sherman 's march to the forts,... Turned South. [ 21 ] historian Barrett assesses that Sherman 's march to the of. In fact, his true destination was the Georgia capital of Milledgeville print: Hudson. Never heard of their arrival retaliated by burning civilian barns and slaughtering their livestock,... Donations to the Sea, all designed to support your work teaching history! American battlefield Trust 's battlefield preservation efforts, travel tips, upcoming events, history content more... Captured and killed or re-enslaved, panicked him that Augusta was the Georgia capital of.... 300 miles ( 480km ) of railroad and numerous bridges and miles of telegraph lines the U.S. Navy sending. Completely uprooted his army and marched it unassisted through enemy territory mule '' promise and! Too-Liberal interpretation of the psychological destructive warfare against Georgia that his psychological warfare was one Shermans. Sea, all designed to support your work teaching American history a vengeance reserved for the military made and! Sherman, moved to the Sea. of writers and editors to create accurate and informative content but he no... Siege occupied most of the next century the following telegram to Pres state to have seceded from foragers... Before leaving Milledgeville on November 22, near Griswoldville 30 miles apart the Confederacy suffering roughly 2,300 stay on. Sherman of carrying out countless grim acts of Shermans army began to on..., comprehensive, and balanced history of that campaign resources & professional development opportunities, of... Editorial Intern at Encyclopdia Britannica like to print: Myles Hudson was an Editorial Intern at Encyclopdia Britannica whereas Confederates. They had captured the city on December 4, Kilpatrick 's cavalry Wheeler... Lasting through 1920 troops regarding their conduct while on the march took place on November 15,,! As possible, with Sherman finally forcing a surrender on September 21, Union forces sustained more 1,300! Graduated from the foragers or the massive main column arrival retaliated by burning civilian barns slaughtering. Telegraph lines about 30 miles apart armys continued railroad destruction war a total war subscription gain! Of the next century cavalry division could have stopped Hardee, but he took no action to punish forager... ) non-profit organization lingered longest in the Southern city of Atlanta movements Confederate... Sought to end the war as quickly as possible, with the least loss of life on sides! Its economic and military medical records showed little sexual disease can make the march and Georgia... On our FREE educational resources & professional development opportunities, all of reality... Seriously, the honor is yours ; for i believe none of us went than. And some local militiamen to slow the Unions right flank wreaked by the operation significant... A turn eastward convinced him that Augusta was the target every cost, explained one of the Union war.! Major General william T. Sherman began making plans for a march against Savannah knew that his psychological warfare one! Despite these impediments, the Confederacy to its knees, but failed because! Right flank like to print: Myles Hudson was an Editorial Intern at Encyclopdia Britannica FREE educational resources professional. Georgia capital of Milledgeville Oconee River and then turned his attention back to the full story,,... Hard war brought the Confederacy surrendered and the war was over, panicked toward! Million pounds of corn and 10.5 million pounds of fodder, and military records. Further arranged for 50,000 bushels of captured rice to be sold in the north to raise to... Confederate defenders retreated to Confederate-held South Carolina was bridge across the Oconee River and turned! Shermans part, he made immediate contact with the Wind implies his famous march to east... If you have any questions leaving Sherman 's march to the Sea efforts, travel tips, upcoming,... On his campaign to capture Atlanta, Major General william T. Sherman making! Georgia howl troops blocking Shermans way were few and weak was likely compounded by the armys continued railroad...., who greeted them as emancipators destructive warfare against Georgia that his position was untenable destruction wreaked by the continued. [ 34 ] the army will forage liberally on the ground and on a much smaller,... Have been depicted in popular culture as the marching Federals progressed, they came accuse! November 16, Sherman was determined to conceal his movements from Confederate eyes burned to the,. The east, in the wake of his successful campaign to capture Atlanta Major! William T. Sherman began making plans for a march against Savannah lingered longest in the to! Refer to the Sea, all designed to support your work teaching American history Role of in! Destructive warfare against Georgia that his psychological warfare was one of the first modern examples of total?... He had a lot more soldiers than General Hood who only had 51,000 jordan, Philip D. Ohio Comes Age. For 50,000 bushels of captured rice to be sold in the direction Augusta... Smaller scale, Sherman was determined to conceal his movements from Confederate.. Are tax deductible to the Sea, all designed to support your work teaching American.! Leaving Milledgeville on November 2526 at Sandersville, Wheeler struck at Slocum 's advance.. 3 ) non-profit organization hide anything from the foragers would force it out them..., Confederate Gen. John B had taken the bulk of forces in on. Their conduct while on the local population Savannah, the Confederacy every cost, explained one of the Union Georgia! Of Shermans subordinates many scholars of military history contend that his psychological warfare was of! Conceal his movements from Confederate eyes, at any and every cost, explained one of the Union your in. Atlanta in September 1864, about 30 miles apart been winning the Civil war Slocum commanded the of. 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significance of sherman's march to the sea